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Lauren Wood
Biography
Best known for a pair of adult contemporary smashes -- "Please Don't Leave," a duet with Michael McDonald, and the Pretty Woman soundtrack's "Fallen" -- Lauren Wood has parlayed a variety of talents into a career spanning two decades, even if she hasn't remained highly visible throughout that time.

A native of Pittsburgh, Lauren Wood began her career in that city's Rebecca and the Sunnybrook Farmers, a psychedelic rock band. Taking the moniker Chunky, she and her cousin Novi formed the band Chunky, Novi and Ernie, which released its debut album in 1976 and featured Wood on vocals and keyboards. Having moved to Los Angeles, Wood recorded another album with Chunky, Novi and Ernie, as well as singing with fusion outfit the Freeway Philharmonic. In 1979, Wood recorded her own self-titled debut album for Warner Bros., which spawned the hit ballad "Please Don't Leave," a duet with the Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald that made the Top 30 on Billboard's singles chart and the adult contemporary Top Five. After the follow-up, Cat Trick, Wood seemingly disappeared for a while. She spent much of her time writing songs for other artists and for film and television soundtracks; her material has been recorded by Gladys Knight ("Send It to Me"), Philip Bailey ("Echo My Heart"), Cher, Dusty Springfield, Animotion, Tiffany, Nicolette Larson, Sammy Hagar and Montrose, and Billy Preston, among others.
Selected Discography